Stress & Depressed

Stress Induced Irritability & Depression

The crazy thing about toxic levels of stress is that it can lead to a brain chemical melt down. Once you experience what I like to refer to as a “brain melt-down” you are then much less equipped to handle the stress making you feel even more irritable or depressed.

Serotonin (a potent brain neuro-chemical) has a profound effect on mood and behavior. When someone is experiencing high levels of stress, serotonin levels often fall, creating a domino effect of; over-reaction, irritability, anger, tension, emotional upheaval, and often depression. Declining serotonin levels also can lead to sleep problems, excessive cravings, and weight gain.

So the name to the game here is to support healthy levels of serotonin.

Here are a few tips to boost your serotonin and save yourself some embarrassing moments of totally “losing it” over nothing.

Tip 1: Amino acids are particularly helpful with mood. It is important to get a balance with the brain chemicals – so using a supplement to boost these can be helpful – see Rebalance Mood at http://balancedocs.com/product/rebalance-mood/

Tip 2: B-Complex- all B vitamins are important but particularly B6. This vitamin is essential for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.

Tip 3: Make sure to include protein with each meal to help support healthy brain chemicals. Amino acids are formed from proteins. With out amino acids in your diet, nearly all of your brain chemicals are negatively affected. Eat lean proteins like fish, tuna, chicken, turkey, lean meats, and dairy products like cottage cheese.

Tip 4: Magnesium! This is a slam dunk. Magnesium helps support energy, muscle relaxation, and zest for life. It has also been shown to reduce depression and help with weight loss.

Tip 5: Consider having your brain chemicals tested. Now available at Peak Medical Clinic is a simple urine test that will evaluate your personal brain chemical profile, greatly helping us to understand how to treat chronic mood, eating and attention related concerns.

Tip 6: Close your eyes in silence for 5-10 minutes per day to slowly and deeply breath in to the count of six; breathing in light, love and happiness and breathing out to the count of eight; letting go of irritability, anger, darkness and sadness. Try this it really works! (There are a couple great smart phone apps to help with this – one of them is Head Space.)

Tip 7: Exercise daily to keep the balance between your head and your body. You can’t expect to work your head all week and leave your body still sooner or later you’ll feel like your head is going to blow up.

Good luck with your new game plan for getting balanced!

Schedule an appointment with a Peak Medical provider today for further testing of neurotransmitters to help balance your mood.